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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · cold · stem · charge · root · cell · board · land

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cold — not warm
  7. land — ground
  8. root — the cause
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — a price
  15. land — a country
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cell — in biology
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. land — to come down
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com